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Wahoo Fitness Blue SC Speed and Cadence Sensor Review

By Mike Rileyon Tue, 07/10/2012

Are you a bicycling enthusiast looking to capture your cycling statistics using bleeding edge sensor, data capture and transmission technology? If you're also an iPhone 4S or 3rd generation iPad user, Wahoo Fitness has just the solution for you. Read on to learn more about the Blue SC Speed and Cadence Sensor.

Wahoo Fitness has been busy releasing a number of fitness-related hardware and software products for the iOS platform, so it comes as no surprise that they are one of the first companies to take advantage of the new low-power Bluetooth communication protocol in the iPhone 4S and latest iPad models. And therein lies the product's biggest limitation - its reliance on the iPhone 4S or newest iPad. By opting to design the sensor around the low power Bluetooth 4.0 spec, Wahoo has decided to considerably restrict this nifty product to a much smaller audience of iOS device users. Granted, the iPhone 4S is a popular smartphone, but those who prefer using an older iPhone on off-road excursions to collect cycling data will need to use Wahoo's earlier solution for these devices, that being their custom (and more expensive) Bike Case and Wahoo Key combinations.

But assuming you're as progressive as Wahoo hardware designers are, the product works quite elegantly and is a fine showcase on how well the new low-power Bluetooth version operates. It's also a glimpse into the direction that other sensor products beyond just those in the Wahoo Fitness catalog are moving towards with this new low-power, low-hassle pairing approach to wireless sensor data collection and transmission.

The metal sensor triggers affixed to the pedal shaft and wheel spoke don't need to touch the data collector, thus not impeding your ride in any way. Blue SC works perfectly with the free Wahoo Fitness app. And because Wahoo publishes an open API to their sensors, the Blue SC also works with other popular bike riding apps that take advantage of this API, like Cyclemeter and Strava Cycling.

It took me about ten minutes to install, pair, calibrate and test the Blue SC. There are virtually no printed instructions to speak of in the box, beyond a small multilingual slip of paper instructing customers to visit the Wahoo Fitness website for more information. Fortunately, Wahoo posted a helpful step-by-step installation video that made the necessity of printed instructions moot.

In summary, the Blue SC is a major step forward in the sensor to iOS connection, though given such an early introduction, only those blessed with the latest iOS hardware will be able to take advantage of the product. But it sure beats the alternative of having to outfit pre-4.0 Bluetooth devices with proprietary harnesses and dongles.

Mike Riley is a frequent contributor to several technical publications and specializes in emerging technologies and new development trends. Mike was previously employed by RR Donnelley as the company’s Chief Scientist, responsible for determining innovative technical approaches to improve the company’s internal and external content services. Mike also co-hosted Computer Connection, a technology enthusiast show broadcast on Tribune Media's CLTV.

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